Aftg react

Part64

Foxes react: chapter 14

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Nathaniel expected to be carted straight to their office for questioning, but the SUV turned into a hotel parking lot. The place was crawling with feds. Men stood on the sidewalk, smoking and attempting to look casual, but Nathaniel's skin crawled at the sight of them. The ladies sunning by the pool were equally offensive despite their attempt to be inconspicuous. The woman by the vending machine was a toss-up, but Nathaniel was inclined to think badly of everyone in his sights.
As soon as the car stopped Nathaniel turned an expectant look on Browning. Browning put a finger in his face. "You have twenty minutes or until they throw you out of their lives, whichever comes first. Then you are coming with us and you are going to tell us everything we want to know. Do I make myself clear?"
"They," Nathaniel said. "They're here? I don't see the bus."
"I don't want the press seeing it here and putting it all together yet, so I had your coach move it. I said, are we clear?"
"Clear," Nathaniel said, and pulled the hood down over his face again. "Get out."

"20 minutes?! Are they serious? What are we suppose to talk about in only 20 minutes" said Dan with her captain voice full of anger, the other where the same , everyone coming up with reasons on why this was just dumm even Wymack and Abby said something all except Andrew who was silently fuming with anger.
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There was a hollow look on Kevin's face and dark bruises on his throat.

They were surprised at that, they couldn't help but wonder who was able to get past Andrew and get his hands on Kevin, somehow Andrew had a feeling that he knew exactly who it was and Renne looked like it too Kevin on the other hand looked sick.
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Abby's mouth moved, but Nathaniel didn't hear a word she said. Browning said the Foxes only suffered minor injuries and that none of them had ended up in the ICU, but only seven of them were here. Wymack was out moving the bus, but that left one person unaccounted for.
Nathaniel's blood went cold, and he couldn't keep the alarm from his voice when he started to ask, "Where's And—"
There was a crash behind Nathaniel, the unmistakable sound of a body slamming into wood. He turned as Andrew forced his way into the room with Wymack right on his heels. Kurt grabbed at Andrew but lost his grip when Wymack shouldered past him.

"Wait are these-" "handcuffs" stared Matt but was interrupted by Alison who after she said it she laughed as Andrew and Wymack send her a look, Andrew's was a dare to continue and Wymack's a promise of a marathon.
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He sounded so angry Nathaniel knew Wymack wasn't talking to him or Andrew. He guessed Browning or Kurt was moving to haul Andrew out of the way before he hurt Nathaniel further. Either the feds trusted his judgment or they couldn't get around Wymack to get to Andrew, but Andrew knelt in front of Nathaniel unchallenged.
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"I'm sorry," Nathaniel said.
Andrew's fist went back, but he didn't take the swing. Nathaniel knew it wasn't because that was the hand cuffed to Wymack; Andrew's arm actually shook with the effort it took to not knock Nathaniel's head off his neck. Nathaniel said nothing to tip the balance either way. At length Andrew uncurled his fingers and let his hand hang limp from the cuff.
"Say it again and I will kill you," he said.
"This is the last time I'm going to say it to you," Kurt said, coming up beside Wymack with a dark look on his face. "If you can't stow that attitude and behave—"
Nathaniel shot a warning look at him and cut in with, "You'll what, asshole?"
"The same goes for you, Nathaniel," Browning said. "That's your second strike. A third misstep and this," he twirled his finger to indicate the Foxes, "is over. Remember you are only here because we are allowing it."
Andrew shifted as if to get up and Nathaniel knew he was going to shut Browning up for good. Nathaniel knew better than to touch Andrew yet but he got as close as he could and framed Andrew's face between his bandaged hands. Andrew could have easily pushed him aside, but after a short pause he got settled again. Nathaniel flicked him a quick look, grateful for that compliance, before leveling another icy stare at Browning.
"Don't lie to a liar," Nathaniel said. "We both know I'm here because you have nothing without me. A pile of dead bodies can't close cases or play the money trail with you. I told you what those answers would cost you and you agreed to pay it. So take this handcuff off of Andrew, get your man out of our way, and stop using up my twenty minutes with your useless posturing."
The silence that followed was brittle. Browning was weighing his options, or at least acting like he was. Nathaniel knew this could only end one way. If the FBI had let the Hatfords into the country uncontested they had to be desperate for some resolution. No one could prove—yet— that Nathan had killed Mary Hatford, but the Hatfords' hatred for Nathan wasn't a secret and they'd reacted to his parole by booking tickets across the Atlantic. It didn't take the FBI's brightest to know their visit wouldn't be friendly.
Finally Browning gestured. Kurt's face was a thundercloud as he dug keys out of his pocket. Wymack turned to make it easier for him. Andrew didn't watch as the cuff came off, but he flexed his fingers a few times to test his freedom and dropped his hand to his thigh. Browning took Kurt with him to wait just inside the door. They radiated displeasure and distrust and the look Browning sent his watch was pointed, but Nathaniel didn't care. Satisfied they were out of the way at last, he turned his full attention on Andrew again.

"Well done Neil" said Renee with a smile and the others were happy too and amazed as they saw Neil argue against a fed and win.
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In quiet German he said, "Did they tell you who I am?"
"They didn't have to. I choked the answers out of Kevin on the way here."

They were shocked all gaping at what in screen Andrew said, they turned to look at him to see how he felt at that but they saw nothing Andrew was calm like he understood why he had done it so they continued.
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He and Andrew went down the stairs behind Browning and got into the backseat of the SUV. Browning sat ahead of them and slammed the door. Nathaniel watched until the hotel disappeared out the window, then looked to Andrew and asked in German, "Can I really be Neil again?"
"I told Neil to stay," Andrew said. "Leave Nathaniel buried in Baltimore with his father."
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"Neil Abram Josten," Neil murmured, and it felt like waking up from a bad dream.

They felt some kind of relief wenn they saw that Neil was referring to himself as Neil and not Nathaniel.